Monday, December 7, 2009

National identity of the USA

The identity of the United States of America is shown in its national symbols. This article explores the major symbols and their uncanny correspondence with the key astrological influences in the national horoscope of the country.

SAMVA USA chart (Perpetual Union)The United States of America was born on February 2, 1781, at 4:58:33 PM (EST) in Philadelphia, PA (75W10, 39N57) when the Maryland legislature passed an Act to ratify the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. This 13th ratification established the requisite unanimous consent to the formation of a Perpetual Union.[1] The national horoscope has 20° Cancer rising (sidereal zodiac). Cancer is a feminine sign noted for its caring nature, especially when its lord, the royal planet Moon, is strong in the chart. The 2nd lord of the chart, the royal Sun, is powerfully placed on the most effective point of the 7th house of others, aspecting the 1st house of self.

Early historyThe early history of the USA is seen in the major planetary periods (dasas) of the chart, which reflect the natal placements.During the first planetary Sun period in the SAMVA USA chart, from April 9, 1776 to April 10, 1782, the US declared independence (pre-natal part of the period), formed as a Perpertual Union and won the Revolutionary war. During the subsequent Moon major period, from April 10, 1782 to April 9, 1792, the Union was perfected with the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights which laid out the founding ideals and political structure of the country. This period gave lasting fame to the USA for advances in human liberty. This feature of the chart is important to show that the timing of periods in the chart is consistent with the natal potential seen. Such a perfect fit could only be seen in an authentic chart, which the SAMVA USA chart (Perpetual Union) is. Moreover, the founding creed of American's has repeatedly been confirmed by succeeding generations. [2]

National symbolsThe US has many symbols which represent its various potentialities. [3] Symbols of power, like the Bald Eagle and Uncle Sam, reflect the strong and powerfully placed Sun in the chart. [4] The strong and powerfully placed Sun in the 7th house gives the characteristic to the US foreign policy to spread freedom and democracy around the world. The strong Mars in the chart gives the US the military ability to back up this nature and thus serve as the 'policeman of the world.' Of even more importance is the symbolism linked to the rising sign Cancer and its ruler, the Moon. The feminine symbols of the USA reflect in an uncanny manner the nature of this rising sign, Cancer. The Moon is strong due to its exaltation in the sign Taurus and its good placement in the 11th house of ideals, friendship and income. The Moon is also in mutual aspect to Jupiter and Mars in Scorpio and the 5th house. This favourable placement gives the US as a collective entity the inclination to care for other countries. An example of this is its effort to help rebuild Europe and Japan after World War II. Of course, the US does this also due to the strong Sun, which makes the US intent on fighting the spread of totalitarianism (or anti-democratic forces) in the world.

Perhaps the most prominent symbol of the United States of America is the Statue of Liberty. Since 1886, it has greeted immigrants arriving by ship. At its erection, the statue took on the symbolism of the “Mother of Exiles” as represented in the poem by Emma Lazarus in 1883, which further states "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” [5] For the most part, the immigrants got a more prosperous start in the new world. Since then, the Statue of Liberty has developed into a global symbol for democracy, a founding ideal of the USA. Another less well known but equally important fact is that the national symbol for the United States of America is the feminine personification of Columbia.

Origins of term ColumbiaIn the 18th century, the term Columbia emerged as a poetic name for America. The name is linked to Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America and as such embodies the sense of "European colonies in the New World". [6]

Roots in Western civilizationThe name Columbia reflects the rising American neoclassicism, exemplified in the tendency to use Roman terms and symbols. The selection of the eagle as the national bird, the use of the term Senate to describe the upper house of Congress, and the naming of Capitol Hill and the Capitol building were all conscious evocations of Roman precedents.

PersonificationPersonified, Columbia first appeared in the poetry of Phillis Wheatley starting in 1776 during the revolutionary war. Columbia was visualized as a goddess-like female national personification of the United States, comparable to the British Britannia, the Italian Italia Turrita and the French Marianne. This personification, which was sometimes called "Lady Columbia" or "Miss Columbia", has inspired the names of many persons, places, objects, institutions, and companies in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. Of special note is the naming of the area destined for the seat of the U.S. government in 1791 as "the Territory of Columbia" but in 1801 the area was organized as the District of Columbia. In 1798, Joseph Hopkinson wrote lyrics for Philip Phile's 1789 inaugural "President's March" under the new title of "Hail, Columbia." Once used as de facto national anthem of the United States, it is now used as the entrance march of the Vice President of the United States. [7]

ImageThe image of the personified Columbia was never fixed, but she was most often presented as a woman between youth and middle age, wearing classically draped garments decorated with the stars and stripes; a popular version gave her a red-and-white striped dress and a blue blouse, shawl, or sash spangled with white stars. Her headdress varied; sometimes it included feathers reminiscent of a Native American headdress, sometimes it was a laurel wreath, but most often it was a cap of liberty. Statues of the personified Columbia may be found in the following places:

The 1863 Statue of Freedom atop the United States Capitol building, though not actually called "Columbia", shares many of her iconic characteristics.

Atop Philadelphia's Memorial Hall, built 1876

The replica Statue of the Republic ("Golden Lady") in Chicago's Jackson Park is often understood to be Columbia. It is one of the remaining icons of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

In the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, dedicated 1949.

National mottosThe USA has also adopted national mottos, such as "In God We Trust," "E Pluribus Unum" and "Novus Ordo Seclorum," which reflect the horoscope very well. The same may be said of the Pledge of Allegiance, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." The Strong Sun and the aspect of Jupiter to the Moon as lord of self in the 11th house of ideals, give a 'religious sensibility' and a moral compass to the country. The 'large democracy' is possible with a strong Sun, Moon and Mars, as 10th lord of government, in the chart as these ensure order to the country when the communal harmony is challenged. The 'new world' has been created on the basis of the above described national characteristics. Reality checkOf course, the USA is not perfect. At the same time that the country has risen from an assortment of struggling colonies to become the worlds leading superpower, where great wealth has been created on the basis of incredible intellectual and technical accomplishments, the country has endured rampant materialism, poverty, ignorance and crime in segments of its population. These experiences are consistent with the placement of the Moon's nodes, Rahu and Ketu, in the chart, as well as the bad placement of Venus in the 6th house. While there were phenomenal initial abuses of slaves and native Indians, with also the initial creation of a lower class, these gave way to a struggle, sometimes violent, for dignity, equality and fairness. The continual increase of prosperity, despite periodic setbacks, and a strong political leadership in periods of crisis, has sustained the collective harmony. The USA has also participated in numerous wars, usually successfully, but sometimes enduring great social turmoil in their wake. All these national characteristics and experiences are seen in the chart.

Summary

The national identity of American's reflects very well the strong Sun in the chart but more importantly its rising sign Cancer, reflecting also the 1st lord Moon, which is exalted and well placed in the 11th house of ideals and friendship, giving a caring identity.